I am only aware of warranty issues in DFW with flagstone coping and SWG. Interestingly I just asked my PB about this yesterday (because we are planning on switching to SWG) and got this response:

"Salt verses chlorine, I really like the salt system for multiple reasons, it is easier on the skin, it is easier on the hair, (especially blonde hair) it is not so strong that you have to close your eyes under water, you can swim with them open it does not burn. Salt cost less to maintain. The one set back is it will rust any metal that it comes in contact with after a period of time. It has the same affect as having a car or truck and living close to the coast where it is exposed to the salt elements. There isnÂt any positive proof that salt erodes stone, the pool industry has been doing some case studies but no confirmed proof as of yet to my knowledge. I bought a very expensive table set and the legs are rusted and corroded. We started rinsing everything once we are finished swimming at the end of the day just to wash off any salt residue. Stone will have a tendency to erode after time simply because it is a natural product but your talking about many years, it should last a very long time, the same amount of time that the plaster will last before it is time to remodel the pool.

Chlorine will dry the skin out, it cost more, it is bad on the hair, it burns the eyes if not properly balanced, but it does not have any affects on metal.

I have had both, and I like the salt much better."

We are going to switch to SWG mainly because the CYA levels are climbing to really high levels with our inline chlorinator. At this rate we'll be replacing water at the end of the year. We tried the BBB method, but adding bleach daily results in huge quantities of plastic bottles laying around and our landfills really don't need that!

Tresw,
Why are your CYA levels climbing from your inline chlorinator. The pucks in the chlorinator should not be strong enough to make your CYA climb to levels that you need to drain your pool. Plus I've heard that CYA will evaporate out over time. So I can't see why this is occurring in your pool.
As for chlorine vs SWG, no matter what you're still going to have to shock your pool so you can't get completely away from adding chlorine. Here in Pearland, pool builders just won't do a swg if you have any type of water feature. I went with a inline and I've had to add CYA to make up the difference that the pucks don't provide.

I live in Dallas Area and SWG is what I went with and I am extremely happy with it. Very glad I chose .

No brainer,unless you like hauling jugs of chorine and
constantly dumping them in the pool!
My pool is close to the size of yours,I have an Aquq Rite
swg,run my pump 8 hrs a day(5 in winter),have the unit at
less than 10% and have all the chorine I need (.5).
Need a splash of acid about every 10 days.Plus the water feels nicer.
SWG the best invention since the proverbeal sliced bread!

You DON`T need ionizers,ozonators,frognators or any on that
junk,especially choriators and pucks!

IMHO....Good Luck...JR

I really think the way to go is the dual ozonator and SWCG systems. I've seen them for just a few dollars more than just the plain SWCG. The fact of the matter is there are a few parasites/bacteria that ozone is more effective at getting rid of than chlorine. The ozone also reduces the total amount of chlorine you need to have in the water at a standing concentration. Couple that with the SWCG ability to "hide" the chlorine smell and the water softening affects and you really have the best winning combination IMHO. Shock every once in awhile yes...but we are talking like a box of it for nearly the year.

I never had a problem with rust from the Salt. Don't have much metal in my pool through. However, I don't like metal patio funiture just for that fact. It rusts eventually even if you don't have a pool with the cheap production and painting in china.

As well, stay away from limestone in a pool regardless...its too weak of a stone. I have chunks of it falling off my house just from rain. If you use it, expect to replace in half the time as harder stone like flagstone.

Oh, one thing on the rust I do remember as a problem. If the kids leave one of those dive floats with the metal weight at the bottom or drop a hair pin in the pool and you don't get it out, it will rust in 24 hours in salt water and stain your pool. I think you get a little more time with plain water.

"Salt verses chlorine, I really like the salt system for multiple reasons, it is easier on the skin, it is easier on the hair, (especially blonde hair) it is not so strong that you have to close your eyes under water, you can swim with them open it does not burn. Salt cost less to maintain" (after you pony up $1500 plus up front)...... None of this is due to the SWCG. A SWCG makes chlorine and that is it. Yes the salt makes it easier on the skin but you can put salt in a pool anyway. The other things are a product of good pool chemistry. The SWCG will help make it easier to maintain.

Quote: "Why are your CYA levels climbing from your inline chlorinator. The pucks in the chlorinator should not be strong enough to make your CYA climb to levels that you need to drain your pool. Plus I've heard that CYA will evaporate out over time. So I can't see why this is occurring in your pool."

CYA does not evaporate and does not get used up. The only way to get rid of it is to do a partial drain and refill. This is the classic known problem with inline chlorinators, at some point you WILL have to drain and refill if you use one. It may be once a season or it may be every three years, it depends on how much splashout and rain you get. Trichlor pucks try to give your pool everything it needs including CYA, so even when your pool reaches max CYA levels the pucks just keep feeding more and more in. Once the level reaches 100 chlorine becomes ineffective. If you go over to TroubleFreePools.com you will read many stories of people who have a sudden algae invasion that they can't get rid of no matter how much shock they dump in. They are always told to get full tests run and post the results, and usually it's a high CYA level that's the culprit. If someone made pucks with no CYA, the problem would be solved! I don't understand why they don't, but maybe it's because the CYA is also needed to bind the puck together or something.

Quote: "As for chlorine vs SWG, no matter what you're still going to have to shock your pool"

If you get a high quality test kit and make small adjustments when they are needed you will rarely if ever need to shock your pool. Ours has never been shocked. We check TC/ PH/ TA every 2 to 3 days and conduct a full range of tests one a week. There are many people over on TFP that are using BBB and have never shocked.

Quote: "As for chlorine vs SWG, no matter what you're still going to have to shock your pool so you can't get completely away from adding chlorine."

There's a misconception that chlorine versus SWG is "either/ or". If you have an SWG you still have chlorine in your pool. The SWG generates chlorine using the salt that's been added. In fact the target test FC levels are the same for both.

Quote: "As well, stay away from limestone in a pool regardless...its too weak of a stone. I have chunks of it falling off my house just from rain"

Isn't that the truth! I put some around our Koi pond 6 years ago and it gets very little foot traffic. I have been amazed at how easily it sluffs layers, one piece of it has almost completely disintegrated!

In my last pool, I started out with chlorine and added my own SWCG after a year. I expect to do the same thing this time. Its amazing how much you spend on chlorine and shock....you really have no idea until you buy just $50 worth of salt and never really buy anymore chlorine. In fact, I'm back at the store today to buy MORE chlorine.

BTW, in my last pool, I started with no CYA...didn't know anything about a pool at that time. Added CYA to get it in the middle of the range and gradually got up to about 80. Then I converted to the SWCG and after about 2 or so years, found myself having to add CYA. If you stop adding it, it does go away just from the act of swimming, splashing, filling, and cleaning the filters.

Quote: "If you stop adding it, it does go away just from the act of swimming, splashing, filling, and cleaning the filters."

Yes, absolutely. Splashout, rain and adding new water will "water down" the CYA level. But the pucks add it at an alarming rate. There may be some pucks that are worse than others about this, but it only took 2 months for our pool to hit the upper recommended level of 60. And that was in the spring, before the chlorine demand was very high! We were testing CYA ever 2 weeks and it jumped 10-15 points each test.

Yeh, if chlorine is your only means of cleaning the pool and your buying TriChlor it will add up quickly. I use to use liquid chlorine from Lowes @15% ....but my Lowes here don't carry it.

You can start using Cal Hypo pucks....thats what I'm currently using...but I have Ozone as well. It adds Calcium...but you can sequester calcium.

However, I think the ROI on a SWCG is 2 years of buying chemicals if you self install and its a really easy self installation. You cut a pipe and glue in some pieces and the control unit just needs to be wired in.....thats it. I put my Acqu Rite in my last pool before they were popular and the Internet was a barely known. Got the whole thing for $450.

Is there a pool chemicals and equipment for dummies?

I have a huge learning curve on all the processes and how the equipment pieces work.

Really the Pool Chemicals for dummies is SWCG + Ozone. The SWCG generates your chlorine, the Ozone reduces your chlorine requirements. Clean pool by two different methods. Water softner with salt. Add a little acid ever few weeks. Shock if you find a dead rat floating. Dummy proof. All of the other problems go away.